Nyssa's Revenge
by mjf2468
Summary: This AU story takes place after episode 3 x 4 "The Magician". After thinking things over that night, Nyssa decides to take justice into her own hands and wishes to "convince" Oliver to hand Merlyn over to her. She remains unconvinced as to Merlyn's innocence in Sara's death. Canon up to 3 x 4. The first chapter contains major torture scenes of two major characters.
1. Chapter 1:Nyssa Returns

Disclaimer: CW/DC own these characters. I'm only borrowing them for a while. I own the original ideas found in this. Some dialogue is from "The Magician" Arrow episod written by Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle.

Summary: This little AU story takes place after episod "The Magician". After thinking things over that night, Nyssa decides to take justice into her own hands and wishes to "convince" Oliver to hand Merlyn over to her. She remains unconvinced as to Merlyn's innocence in Sara's death. Canon up to 3 x 4. The first chapter contains torture scenes of two major characters.

 **AN: One night, as I was drifting off to sleep, my Muse gave me most of this chapter as an alternate ending/addition to episode 3 x 4. Quite the violent minx my Muse is becoming I guess.**

 **Yeah, my first 'M' story. Perhaps it doesn't need to be, but I'm going to be cautious. That way, the Muse was free to write in more detail the torture scenes. But I apologize if it doesn't seem as 'M' as the rating promises, but oh well. Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose. Hope it entertains.**

Previously, in episode 3 x 4:

 _Nyssa arrives in town looking for Sara, only for Oliver to inform her of Sara's death. Nyssa tells Oliver Malcolm is alive, and Sara was tracking him. They are successful in tracking Merlyn, but he claims he never killed Sara, and swears on Thea's life he's telling the truth. Oliver believes him, and swears to Nyssa that Merlyn is under his protection until they find Sara's killer. Oliver and Nyssa return to the lair after fighting Malcolm, with the end result of Oliver letting him go. After striking Oliver, Nyssa calls him a fool and says he insults the memory of a woman he once loved by his action._

Oliver is slightly uncomfortable with the murderous look the Daughter of the Demon was giving him, but he was determined to stand by his standards, no matter what. A little voice inside him reminded him of the time he told Diggle it would be dangerous to go against the League, when Nyssa first came to town. Funny how times have changed.

"I will honor Sara's memory by finding and punishing the person who did this. The _real_ person." He paused, then continued after allowing the silence to make the point. "Nyssa, as long as Malcolm Merlyn is in my city, the League will make no move on him. He's under my protection."

Nyssa looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. "You would incur the wrath of the League of Assassins over one such as Merlyn?"

"I would do what I have to in order to buy the time necessary to find out what really happened with Sara."

"You insist on believing a man like Merlyn simply because he calls upon the honor of family?"

"Again, Nyssa, I believe Merlyn did not kill Sara."

"You have made an enemy tonight. One with a long memory." Nyssa turned after Oliver stayed silent. She walked up the stairs, allowing the door to slam shut behind her as she left the Lair.

Later, she faced her father in their home at Nanda Parbat. It was late. Not even changing from her travelling clothes first, she immediately went to find her father. Ra's was bathing in his Lazarus Pit, healing the wounds incurred over the past week from training his new recruits. Unable to hide her emotions, Nyssa knelt beside the Pit, her head down in respect but also in sorrow.

Pulling her hood down, she proceeded to give her father her report. "The rumors were true. Malcolm Merlyn is in Starling City."

"There is a sadness in your voice." The calmness in her father's voice gave her some comfort; she forged on with her report.

"Ta-er al Sa-fir. She has fallen."

"Sara Lance is dead?"

Raising her head, Nyssa found herself staring straight ahead in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay. "Yes, struck through the heart with an arrow."

"At Merlyn's hand?"

"It appears." Struggling to control her tears, Nyssa said, "I have vowed a blood oath to avenge her."

"Al Sa-her will face the League's justice. But only for his crimes against our code."

Nyssa startled at her father's words, not believing what he'd just said. "But Sara…?"

"Was never truly one of us." Ra's walked toward his daughter, stopping in front of her kneeling form as she looked down in sorrow, lost in thought. "What of Queen?"

Still avoiding eye contact with her father, Nyssa said in a monotone, "He has sworn to protect Merlyn at any cost."

Her father stated, "If that is true, then Oliver Queen courts war with us."

Nodding his head at his daughter, Ra's gave her permission to leave his sight. Nyssa controlled the instinct to run away from him as fast as she could. First Queen disappointed her in not killing Merlyn when he had the chance, and now her own father refused to declare a blood oath in honor of her fallen Beloved. Just more examples of how men kept failing her. She held onto her dignity tightly, her head high, and walked out of the room in her characteristic regal style.

Reaching her room before the tears began to fall, Nyssa pushed the heavy door shut and blindly sat on the edge of her bed. Thinking over her options, she suddenly realized what it was she should do. Rising, she grabbed a travel bag and began to pack.

Oliver Queen was indeed going to regret acting against the League. She was going to make sure of it, even if her own father would not.

~~OQ~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~

Oliver was in the Lair several nights later. It was late. He had sent everyone else home. Feeling the need for some solitary time, he had just finished making arrowheads when he heard a small sound. Turning around, he wasn't quick enough because of his fatigue to avoid a traq arrow shot into his upper arm. Oliver fell to the ground. Lying there, as he was rapidly losing consciousness, he heard three pairs of boots approaching him. He attempted to roll his head up to see the faces of his attackers, but the traq worked too quickly.

Oliver first became aware of discomfort in his arms, sensing they were extended above his head, as he regained consciousness sometime later. He opened his eyes only to find Nyssa standing in front of him. Two LOA soldiers, both taller and broader than Diggle, dressed in the black fighting costumes of the LOA, were on either side of her. His eyes travelled up his arms, to discover he was handcuffed to the salmon ladder. His shirt off, a chain around his waist, and ankles chained separately, Oliver felt securely bound to the ladder, without any give whatsoever.

"What the hell, Nyssa?" Oliver looked at his captor, more in surprise than in fear.

Nyssa, dressed in the black, skintight outfit she wore the night she kidnapped Thea, a veil around her head covering the lower part of her face, walked towards him. "I warned you, Oliver, you were incurring the wrath of the League. Even if you are hesitant to carry out justice for Sara, I am not."

"I told you, Malcolm did _not_ kill Sara. We are trying as hard as we can to find out who did." Oliver fought against his bonds without success, the chains clanging against the metal posts of the salmon ladder, as his eyes attempted to bore into Nyssa's as if to get in contact with her soul. "You need to give us more time to find her murderer."

"And I told you, Oliver, I did not believe that." Nyssa got right up in Oliver's face and stabbed him in the chest. "My father… _my father_ does not believe Sara is worth a blood oath." She pulled the knife down his chest. "I do. I want to kill Al Sa-her myself. I need _you_ to tell me where to find him." She withdrew the knife and smiled in satisfaction with the trail of blood she left behind flowing now down the left side of Oliver's chest. Even if Oliver had yet made a sound as she cut him.

"Nyssa, no. I refuse to do so. Like I said, he swore on my sister's life he didn't kill Sara. I believe him. I don't want an innocent man to suffer for something he didn't do." Nyssa pulled away as he finished his statement.

Oliver hadn't noticed one of the soldiers getting closer to him, but suddenly two punches to his jaw knocked his head first to the right, then to the left. "Do not talk to the Mistress that way!" He punched Oliver in the stomach several times as well.

Glaring at the man, Oliver taunted through clenched teeth, "Is that all you got, soldier?" His statement was met with several more punches to his stomach, as well as several more to his face, possibly dislocating his nose and darkening the skin around his right eye.

"Enough, Nando!" The soldier, Nando, nodded and dropped back into line with the other soldier.

Walking up to Oliver again, Nyssa shook her head. "I can tell this is going to be a long night. Luckily, we have as much time as it will take to get what we need."

Before he could react, Nyssa plunged a knife into Oliver's left thigh, missing the femoral artery. At Oliver's gasp, she slowly dragged the knife several inches up his leg while maintaining eye contact. "Like I said, Oliver, you _will_ tell me where Al Sa-her is hiding."

Nyssa withdrew the knife and plunged it into Oliver's right side. He again gasped, stifling a scream. She pulled it out, looked Oliver in the eye, and wiped the knife on his naked chest. "I guess we have barely started, given your legendary tolerance to torture." Oliver dispassionately looked down and observed as Nyssa proceeded to cut through the section of abdomen which produced the most bleeding without hitting any major organs.

Oliver attempted to tamp down the panic he was feeling. "Nyssa, you don't have to do this. Work with us to find the real killer, and I promise you…."

"No, I promise _you_ , Oliver, I wouldn't kill you if you tell me where Al Sa-her is." Taking a step back, Nyssa said, "Even though I should, because you dare defy my father. I will stop your punishment when you tell me where I can find him." Putting one arm around Oliver's shoulder, caressing his cheek with the knife, she asked, "What will it be, Oliver? Will you make the smart choice for once in your life and tell me what I need to know?" She sliced his cheek. "Or will you continue with this fool's errand and stand by a worthless man such as Merlyn?"

Oliver swallowed the lump in his throat, keeping his voice even despite the pain. "Nyssa, do what you must, but I am not handing Merlyn over to you."

"You will go so far as to undergo physical torture in order to protect the man who destroyed half your city? Why is this man so important to you?" Nyssa asked, not bothering to hide the wonder at the supposedly strange behavior.

"Like I said, Nyssa, I will not hand over my sister's father to you."

"Oliver, Oliver. Sara and I sometimes discussed the mistakes you made in your life. I never would have thought you would surpass that stupidity. What would she say now, I wonder?"

Without thinking, Oliver said, "All I know is Sara would be so disappointed in you right now."

Nyssa rained punches in Oliver's face, bruising his left eye and increasing the bruises on his face. "Do not _dare_ speak Sara's name to me. You were never worthy of her."

Through spasms of pain and the punches, Oliver suddenly heard the door to the lair open and familiar heels on the stairs. "Oliver, sorry for disturbing you but I forgot…."

Nyssa stopped in mid-punch, looking up the stairs. She nodded at her two soldiers, who took off for the stairs.

"Felicity! Run!" Oliver yelled as loud as he could, and desperately hoped she heard and obeyed without question. Through eyes blurry with tears of pain, he watched the two guards run up the stairs at the quickest speed he'd ever seen anyone else move.

Oliver found himself holding his breath as he strained to listen to what was happening. He was dreading he'd hear what he was afraid of, but he only heard scuffles. Then he heard Felicity scream, "You get your hands off me! Who are you? How dare you do this? Let me go." His eyes then met a sight which chilled him to his toes, Felicity being dragged back downstairs by the two soldiers, one on each side of her. Even with a head start, he'd known Felicity probably couldn't outrun two deadly assassins. He could only watch helplessly as she was brought to one of the office chairs, pushed into it, and her hands and ankles tied to its arms and legs with rope one of the guards produced out of his pocket.

As the soldiers turned and walked back to Nyssa, resuming their positions at attention on either side of her, Felicity looked around her, her eyes falling on the salmon ladder. She gasped at the sight of Oliver restrained, bruised and bleeding, and Nyssa holding a bloody knife. "What's going on? Nyssa, I thought you were our friend."

"I thought I was your ally as well, until Oliver dared to defy my father." Walking over to Felicity, holding the knife up, Nyssa said, "I apologize for this, Felicity Smoak, MIT class of 2009, but it is necessary." As Oliver screamed for her to stop and pulled against his restraints, Nyssa stabbed the knife into Felicity's left upper thigh. Felicity tried to hold back tears of pain and a scream, but she'd never felt such pain before. Nyssa looked up at Oliver with a defiant look, quirking an eyebrow.

"Nyssa, stop! Please don't harm her any more. Hurt me instead, Nyssa," Oliver begged despite himself.

"Oh, but Oliver, you have demonstrated very well hurting you is not effective in getting what I want." Turning towards Felicity, Nyssa suddenly plunged the knife into Felicity's right upper thigh, and slowly dragged the knife, making a cut three inches long as Felicity screamed.

"So what will it be, Oliver? Should I dig out her heart and hand it over to you?" Nyssa asked, the knife poised over Felicity's sternum.

Oliver met Felicity's eyes as they frantically searched him out. "Not for me, Oliver, not for me!" Felicity screamed, as the knife got even closer to her skin.

 **AN: So whatcha think? Not sure how long this story will be. I suppose at least three chapters, but we shall see. It seems like I never know; it is after all up to the Muse. Hope you enjoyed it. (Kinda weird to say that when most of the chapter had torture in it, but oh well.)**

 **Oh, and if you really want to encourage that Muse, please leave a review. Always brightens my day!**


	2. Chapter 2: Nyssa Makes a Point

Disclaimer: WB/DC own these characters. I'm only borrowing them for a while. I own the original ideas found in this.

 **AN: Thank you for returning to this story. And thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows! And thanks for the guest reviews as well. It always makes a writer's heart glad when readers "get" what we are writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Without further ado….**

Previously:

 _"_ _Nyssa, stop! Please don't harm her any more. Hurt me instead, Nyssa," Oliver begged despite himself._

 _"_ _Oh, but Oliver, you have shown very well hurting you is not effective in getting what I want." Turning towards Felicity, Nyssa suddenly plunged the knife into Felicity's right upper thigh, and slowly dragged the knife, making a cut three inches long as Felicity screamed._

 _"_ _So what will it be, Oliver? Should I dig out her heart and hand it over to you?" Nyssa asked, the knife poised over Felicity's sternum._

 _Oliver met Felicity's eyes as they frantically searched him out. "Not for me, Oliver, not for me!" Felicity screamed, as the knife got even closer to her skin._

"Stop, Nyssa. Don't do it, I beg you."

Nyssa turned and looked at Oliver, waiting for him to continue.

Momentarily closing his eyes, Oliver shook his head. He said, upon opening them, "I don't know where he is," but then yelled as Nyssa moved her hand back in order to plunge the knife into Felicity's chest. "No, wait! Nyssa, we can find out where he is, though."

Walking away from Felicity, Nyssa turned a serious eye towards Oliver. Felicity's shoulders collapsed in relief as a huge sigh escaped her. Nyssa got close to Oliver once again, her face level with his, grabbed his chin to force him to look at her, and softly asked, "How will this result in me getting Al Sa-her?"

Meeting her gaze without flinching, Oliver said, "Remember, I tagged him with those nanobots. Felicity can track him down with our computer program."

"I thought that didn't work before."

"I didn't have Felicity running the program. That was why Malcolm was able to mislead us."

Before Felicity could prepare herself, Nyssa turned on her, grabbed the chair, and rolled her over to the computers. With the bloody knife, Nyssa cut the ropes off Felicity's wrists. "Do what he says before I change my mind and remove your heart anyway."

Felicity squeaked and chanced a look towards Oliver, who gave her a small nod. She quickly rubbed her wrists then turned her attention to the computer, and nothing was heard but the clicking of computer keys while her fingers quickly accessed the information. The computer then dinged, and Felicity gave a small sigh of relief.

"Good, they're still projecting a signal. He's in an old warehouse off of 1st Avenue and Granger Boulevard, in the Glades." Turning to face the assassin, Felicity hated she unconsciously shrank down in her chair as she looked at Nyssa. "Do you want me to print off a map or address for you?" she asked softly.

Nyssa looked at the screen over Felicity's shoulder. "No, I know that building. It used to be one of the League's safe houses while Al Sa-her was still part of the League."

Putting the knife in the sheath she was wearing behind her, Nyssa directed her next remarks to Oliver. "We will leave now and collect Al Sa-her. Should we have any difficulty in getting him, do not doubt I will return and finish both of you. In the most horrific way imaginable." Splitting her gaze between her two prisoners, Nyssa asked, "Are you still confident in the accuracy of this information you have given me?"

"Of course. It's what the trackers tell me," Felicity said, attempting to sound confident, but the waver in her voice gave her fear away.

"I'm sure the information is correct, Nyssa, if Felicity says it is. Please go collect Merlyn so I can get Felicity the medical assistance she needs."

Nyssa quirked an eyebrow at him. "Always the hero, huh, Oliver? Isn't that sweet, worrying about your IT specialist?" Nodding towards her men, Nyssa walked towards the stairs. "Like I say, good-bye for now. If it all goes well, we will then take our leave of your city. With Al Sa-her."

Oliver watched the League assassins leave without further comment. As soon as the door shut behind them, he asked, "Felicity, can you reach the phone and call Dig?"

"On it," Felicity punched the key on the computer linking her to the phone set-up. As soon as he answered, in a sleepy voice, Felicity quickly said, "Dig! Sorry to wake you, but Oliver and I were attacked in the Lair by Nyssa and LOA soldiers. We're beaten up pretty badly. Can you call Roy and come get us?"

Dig hurriedly said yes and hung up the phone. Felicity leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "He will get here soon. Can you hold on for a little bit longer, Oliver?"

"Yes, but what about you? Any dizziness? How much blood loss?"

"I'm trying not to think about it, otherwise I will lose it right here." Felicity grabbed her blazer left earlier in the week from the back of the chair, as she avoided looking at the blood on the floor, and pressed it to the wounds on her upper legs. "My cuts have stopped gushing, but they are still oozing more than I would like." Looking at the man still chained, she said, "I know I should untie my feet and come over to you, but I think I might faint if I bend over. Sorry."

"No, Dig will be here soon. You keep applying pressure to your wounds."

"Sorry you had to give up Malcolm. Because of me."

Oliver breathed out an exasperated sigh. "It is _not_ your fault, Felicity. Like I have told you, your superskill is the computer. I never want to have to spoil your world outlook by having to lower you to my level and teach you fighting skills."

"But, Oliver…."

"Felicity," Oliver's voice was weaker, Felicity noted. "Let's not argue about this again. Not right now." Oliver's head sagged, his chin resting on his bloody chest, and his eyes closed.

"Oliver, something changed? Are you not all right anymore?" Felicity became alarmed, then she noted his lax head. "Oliver? Oliver!"

Closing her eyes, Felicity chanted in her head a mantra of, "Oliver's all right, he only fainted." Luckily, it was only a few more minutes until Dig and Roy charged down the stairs of the lair, their steps echoing throughout the space.

"Oh my God, Oliver! What did they do?" Roy asked, as he hurried over to him.

Pulling out a knife, Dig went to Felicity and knelt down to cut her feet loose. "What happened, Felicity?"

"Go get Oliver down first. We need to get to the hospital, quick."

Dig hurried over to Roy and Oliver, and both men gently removed Oliver from the salmon ladder after Dig had unlocked the cuffs with a skeleton key. They then carried him upstairs and brought him out to the van. Dig then hurried back downstairs and gently picked up Felicity in a bridal hold. "I'm going to try to be careful so I don't hurt you."

"No, don't worry about that. Just hurry. We need to get there, Dig."

Biting her lip as Dig carried her up the stairs and to the van, Felicity made sure not to grunt in discomfort as any and all movements pulled at her cuts. Dig gently laid her down in the back of the van, next to the unconscious Oliver, and got in the driver's seat.

"So what's our cover story going to be?" Dig asked as he pulled out of the back parking lot of Verdant.

Roy said, "We really should write up a book to keep excuses handy."

Dig scowled at Roy, while Felicity answered, "I suppose we could say robbers tried to steal from Verdant while Oliver and I were there working on the computers."

Dig rolled his eyes. "I guess that's as good a cover story as we can get." He shook his head and concentrated on getting them to the hospital as quickly and safely as he could. Despite himself, he couldn't help wondering what was going to happen to them next, following this little escapade.

~~OQ~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~

The three assassins approached the darkened warehouse carefully. No sign of habitation could be seen, but Nyssa wasn't fooled. Al Sa-her had been successfully hiding from the League for three years. He wasn't known as "the Magician" for nothing, after all. She knew he was there.

They had seen a glimmer of light on the top floor while they were outside watching, so they immediately headed up. Being quiet as the Ninja warriors they were often mistaken for, the assassins approached Merlyn, who was sitting at a desk, reviewing some papers.

"Al Sa-her, prepare to meet your justice," Nyssa proclaimed.

Merlyn jumped out of the chair, drawing a sword out of his trench coat slung over the back of his chair. "Oh, you have forgotten who assisted you to hone your skills, Mistress."

"Oh, but Al Sa-her, you have forgotten I have beat you many a time since then." Nyssa approached him and attempted to draw the first blood. Merlyn ducked, able to avoid the blow directed at his left shoulder, and struck out at her abdomen, drawing blood.

"You may have drawn first blood, but it'll be your last," Nyssa said as she drew a second sword and flew at Merlyn, the blades catching the glints of light as they flew, trying to draw blood from her opponent. Merlyn was able to fend her off at first, but as she varied her technique, she caught him off guard and sliced his left upper arm, then his right upper leg. While he was momentarily distracted with the two injuries, Nyssa then was able to administer a punch to render him unconscious.

"I was getting bored with the fight," Nyssa told her companions. "Bind his arms and ankles and take him to the van outside."

She followed them as they carried their prize, her head high, extremely satisfied with the entire night's events. Nothing quite as satisfying as spending a night delivering League justice. Her father will also be highly pleased.

~~OQ~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~

While Roy and Dig paced impatiently in the waiting room of the ER, Oliver and Felicity were quickly brought into exam rooms and treatment started. Again, Dig was thankful for some of the privileges of the Queen name, one of which was quick service in the ER. As Dig and Roy waited, two officers showed up to take their statements. Even though he had once joked about how Lance always seemed to be the only police officer showing up whenever they were involved, Digg had to admit most of the time he appreciated the extra attention Lance showed their concerns. Most of the time.

Even though their cover story seemed thin to Dig, Lance appeared to take it as fact. "So, the two of them were working late and they interrupted a gang of burglars."

"Yes, they'd gotten in through a back door that was unlocked. They then began to attack Oliver and Felicity with knives once they figured out who Oliver was."

"They out for revenge for the Undertaking thing, I take it?" Lance asked.

"It appears so." Dig was carefully watching Lance to see whether he'd slip and show any disbelief in the story. So far, the officer hadn't. "Otherwise they'd have simply grabbed the money and left. Instead, they decided to beat Oliver up and started cutting them both up, given the opportunity. Then then were chased off supposedly by a police siren they mistakenly believed was coming for them."

Lance shook his head. "This world is getting sicker all the time." Looking at the two men, he said, "Well, we're going to go now and take a look at the crime scene. Since they didn't have to break in, we probably wouldn't find much if any useful evidence, but we'll see. If we have any questions, we'll let you know. Otherwise, we'll be back tomorrow to get Queen's and Felicity's statements."

Dig nodded and watched the two officers leave. Sighing, he looked at Roy. "You'd think lying to the police would get easier after all this time."

Roy nodded silently.

~~OQ~~ FS~~OQ~~FS~~

Oliver woke up, not surprised to find himself in a hospital bed. He remembered…what did he remember? He had flashes of images of receiving treatment in the E.R., but he was understandably out of it for most of the time. He lifted his right arm, to find several IV tubes going into his hand. Checking the IV bags above, he found he was receiving an antibiotic and saline. Made sense. His eyes followed along the floor to the wastebasket beside the wall, which contained an empty blood bag.

Desperately wanting to pull out the IV's and leave, Oliver stifled that instinct. Nyssa had done quite a number on his extremities, which he needed desperately in order to function as a vigilante, so he decided to behave and stay. At least until he spoke to a physician and see what his and Felicity's status was.

Thinking of Felicity…he was about to change his mind and go looking for her when a familiar head peeked into the room. "Uh, oh, I know that look. What are you thinking about doing, Oliver?" Digg entered the room with a smirk on his face.

"How's Felicity?"

"Doing okay. Better than you. She's resting in bed in a room several doors down from here." As Oliver started to climb out of bed, Dig placed a hand on his arm. "No, you stay in bed for now. Nyssa did quite the number on you, so you better rest. Besides, Felicity is sleeping, and I don't want you to wake her up."

Oliver sighed and laid back onto his pillows. "All right. For once I'll be good." Looking at Dig square in the eye, he asked, "She _is_ doing okay?"

"Yes, both of you are. Luckily no permanent nerve or tissue damage, as far as the doctors can tell. If you two behave yourselves and allow the healing to occur, you both should be fine."

Oliver had been concentrating on what Diggle was saying, he didn't realize his visitor had approached the I.V. stand. Suddenly he felt himself get drowsy. "Did you do something?" he mumbled.

"They have an I.V. in your back for narcotics. I know you wouldn't do it, so I punched the button for you to receive a dose. You need your rest."

"Diggle…you know…I…I don't like pain medicine," Oliver said softly as he dozed off.

Giving his sleeping friend a smile, Dig said, "Yes I know, but you need it, my friend. This time you really do need it, and you're safe here. No reason you shouldn't use it."

 **AN: The more I work on this story, the longer it gets. Good, right? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter should be Nyssa talking to her father. We shall see what else happens…especially with Malcolm facing League justice. Oh, and if you take pity on a poor writer and provide some feedback via a review, it would be greatly appreciated! Bye for now!**


	3. Chapter 3: Malcolm faces Ra's

Disclaimer: WB/DC own these characters. I'm only borrowing them for a while. I own the original ideas found in this.

 **AN: Thank you for returning to this story. Wow! Thanks for the wonderful reviews, follows and favs so far! For those who signed in, I believe I've thanked all of you. For the guests, thanks a lot. I appreciate you greatly as well.**

 **To guest Cathy: yeah, I kinda prefer this alternative reality as well. Ha. Actually, I prefer it so well, I've started a sequel of sorts in it. Ha! A little wiser Oliver, I'd like to think. More to come about the sequel later!**

Previously:

 _Nyssa followed them with their prize holding her head high, highly satisfied with the entire night's events. Nothing quite as satisfying as spending a night delivering League justice. Her father will also be highly pleased._

They arrived mid-day in Nanda Parbat. Because she knew her father was busy eating lunch, and wouldn't like to be disturbed with petty issues such as prisoners arriving, she ordered Merlyn to be taken directly to the dungeons and chained in a cell. Either she or her father would deal with him later. She rushed to the dining room, hoping her father wouldn't mind only her interrupting his lunch.

Upon being announced, she walked into the dining room and quickly assessed her father to be in a relatively good mood by the smile he gave her. "Hello, Daughter. You made good time in getting back here. I trust your mission was successful?" He nodded at a servant, who brought a plate of veal, baby potatoes and peas for Nyssa and placed it in front of her.

"Yes, quite successful, Father. Merlyn is waiting in the south dungeons to receive his punishment from you." She picked up a fork and took a bite of potato.

"I trust he is relatively unharmed? I know you were quite upset about Taer Sa-fir."

Sensing some danger ahead, Nyssa weighed her words. "I thought you'd want to deal with Al Sa-her personally, so I only administered battle wounds upon him."

"I see." Taking a bite of a bread roll, Ra's continued to look at his daughter. After swallowing the bite, and taking a sip of his wine, he asked, "Anything else to tell me?"

For the first time since she had developed the idea of taking revenge out on Queen, Nyssa had some doubt regarding her father's reaction to her idea. Keeping her face passive, however, she stated, "In order to find Al Sa-her I was required to torture Queen and his assistant until they gave up his location."

"Did you leave them alive?"

"Yes, but only because I wanted to make sure we found Al Sa-her. I then was in a hurry to get him to you, so we left immediately upon finding him."

"All very good Daughter. I trust the torture you administered was severe enough to be considered enough of a deterrent to prevent such behavior from Queen in the future?"

"Yes, it should. Especially towards his assistant, of whom he is very protective."

"Well done, my daughter. Hopefully we can bring this chapter to a close." After swallowing a bite of veal, Ra's said, "I am sorry for the loss of your Beloved. I may have had my doubts about her love and loyalty for you, but I knew you loved her a great deal."

"Thank you, Father."

After a moment, Ra's asked, "Do you feel avenged for Taer Sa-fir's death, or are you also wanting to have a share in Al Sa-her's punishment?"

"With your permission, Father, I would like to participate in administering justice to Al Sa-her."

Sipping his wine, Ra's looked at his daughter and nodded. "Yes, I think I will allow that. We shall discuss that later."

Nyssa nodded, and they then both turned their attention to their lunch.

~~OQ~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~

Previously:

 _Oliver had been concentrating on what Diggle was saying, he didn't realize his visitor had approached the I.V. stand. Suddenly he felt himself get drowsy. "Did you do something?" he asked his friend._

 _"_ _They have a pain I.V. in your back for narcotics. I know you wouldn't do it, so I punched the button for you to receive a dose. You need your rest."_

 _"_ _Diggle…you know…I…I don't like pain medicine," Oliver said softly as he dozed off._

 _Giving his friend a smile, Dig said to the sleeping Oliver, "Yes I know, but you need it, my friend. This time you need it, and you are safe."_

The next time Oliver woke up, the morning sun was streaming through the window. As awareness returned, so did the memories of the night before. He first looked at his arm and observed the I.V. still running, this time only a fortified bag of saline with nutrients.

"Oh, good, you're awake."

Oliver smiled as he noted Laurel was sitting in the chair beside his bed. He studied her and was slightly alarmed at the bags under her eyes and the drawn expression on her face.

"What's wrong, Laurel?"

She gave him a look of confusion and scoffed at him. "What do you mean? My best friend almost died last night and you wonder why I'm worried?"

"I've been hurt worse. Something else is troubling you, Laurel. What is it?"

Laurel broke eye contact and looked down at her hands, which were nervously tugging at each other. "Um, well…Like I told you when she took Thea, I told Nyssa to go after Merlyn and do whatever it takes to get him. I…I know I should've known how violent she could be, but I never expected her to torture you and Felicity."

"Hey, hey…" Oliver reached for her hand. With his other hand, he gently brought her face up to look at him. "It wasn't your fault. Don't you start trying to carry unnecessary guilt for things out of your control. That's my job."

Laurel smiled as she sniffed up tears. "I do feel responsible though. If I hadn't told her that…."

"She'd have done it anyway. You know that, Laurel. It is the code they live by. If they had any decency, she wouldn't have done something like that to us. But that is how the League of Assassins handle anger, grief and revenge. They act out, they use torture to bestow fear."

"But…."

"But nothing, Laurel. Her father must have said something to provoke her into taking her anger out on me and Felicity." A thought occurred to Oliver. "Wait a minute. Nyssa did tell me that her father does not believe Sara is worth a blood oath."

"What does that mean?"

Hesitant to expose Laurel to such violence, Oliver knew trying to protect her was impossible. She, like most women in his life, wouldn't stand for it. "A blood oath is taking vengeance for someone murdered by torturing and killing the one responsible."

"So…her father does not believe Sara is worth their justice?"

"Probably because he considers Sara never truly being a part of the League, thus not needing to be avenged."

Laurel leaned back into her chair. "Interesting. Sometimes I would be interested in meeting Nyssa's father."

A shiver of fear went through Oliver. "No, I hope none of us meet him. It would not deem well for any of us."

"So, you are saying Nyssa took her anger out on you for what Malcolm did to Sara?"

"Yes, she probably thought she was avenging Sara by making me suffer since Malcolm wouldn't be suffering for his sins against her. As well as making me watch as she harmed Felicity."

Laurel considered his statement then gave a shrug. "So, why take Malcolm back with her then?"

"Most likely because of his being behind the Undertaking. That would be against League law. That transgression, Ra's would consider worthy of League punishment."

Laurel scrunched up her perfectly trimmed eyebrows. "It seems hypocritical for them to object the Undertaking. Isn't killing still killing?"

Oliver shrugged. "I don't quite understand it either. But bottom line, it probably means we don't have to worry about Malcolm anymore."

Laurel shivered. "You won't hear any argument from me. No matter what, especially seeing what they can do," pointing to Oliver's injuries, "I'm glad he will be punished for taking Sara away from us."

Oliver nodded, but couldn't reply to such a statement. Suddenly he was trying to hide a yawn.

Laurel rose from her chair. "Thank you for making me feel better, even when I was supposed to help you. I better let you get some rest." Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek. "Now, you better behave, and stay in bed. We need you completely healed so you can return to," and she pantomimed pulling back an arrow.

Oliver smiled. "Yes, Diggle has practically threatened me if I don't behave. See you tomorrow?"

"You can count on it."

~~OQ~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~

Malcolm found himself regaining consciousness in a place he never thought he'd be in again, one where he never wanted to return. Chained in a standing position by wrists and ankles to the stone wall of a dungeon cell, Malcolm knew it didn't bode well for him being here. In Nanda Parbat. In Ra's' own Fortress. As his prisoner.

The fact Nyssa had tempered her punches, and didn't 'punish' him before arriving here at Nanda Parbat also did not bode well for him. Malcolm knew of many of the types of punishments Ra's administered to his enemies, and wasn't looking forward to finding out which ones he would now experience first-hand.

"Ah, Al Sa-her, you are awake."

Turning his head, Malcolm heard the hinges creak as the cell door opened. He watched Ra's al Ghul enter his cell, a guard on either side of him, and approach him, only stopping when he was right in front of Malcolm.

Waiting for Ra's to speak again, Malcolm attempted to hide his fear. He wasn't ashamed of his actions regarding the Undertaking. He felt he had indeed avenged Rebecca for the failure of the people of the Glades to protect her. However, even though he had often administered such punishments as a League member, Malcolm wasn't ready to undergo such torture himself.

And though he hated himself for it, Malcolm did have one last bargaining chip to offer which might save him yet. At the time he implemented this entire plan, he'd believed he really had no choice. Now, however, being possibly on Death's door, he could see the cowardice in such a plan. However, it was too late for regrets; he had to see it through, no matter what.

"Al Sa-her, did you murder Ta-er Sa-fir?"

Malcolm shouldn't have been surprised with Ra's being straight to the point, but somehow he was. "No, I did not. And I have video proof to show I didn't. It is on my phone, which is inside my inner pocket of my vest."

Ra's nodded at one of the soldiers on his right, who approached Merlyn and searched for the phone. Finding it, he quickly got through all security measures and was able to pull the video in question up. He handed it to Ra's, who watched the video in silence.

"Who is this young woman?"

"My biological daughter Thea Queen, to whom I only found out last year I am related."

"Queen? As in Oliver Queen?"

"Yes. I…I had come up with the idea to involve him in a scheme which would result in him fighting you in a duel, in place of his sister, thus wiping away my own blood debt. I…I drugged her with Votura to make her susceptible to suggestions in order to set her up. Thus causing her brother to sacrifice himself for her."

Malcolm watched fearfully as several reactions crossed Ra's face. Anger finally settled across the cold features, and the look Ra's shot Malcolm made him doubt his own survival past the next few minutes.

"I didn't think you could sink any lower than the reprehensible actions of what they call the Undertaking, but I was wrong. You willingly set up your own daughter to kill a family friend to get you out of a just punishment? And instead set up someone else to fight your battles for you?"

Despite being chained up, Malcolm shrugged. "I am sorry, Liege. It isn't one of my brighter, wiser ideas." Struggling to come up with a feasible excuse, Malcolm added, "I was so afraid of you, I didn't know what else I could have done. I needed a worthy opponent to beat you."

"Good try, Magician. If all else fail, try flattery? Such an attempt seems beneath you, however."

"I am truly sorry, Liege. I realize I brought disgrace to the League, both through the Undertaking, and through Ta-er Sa-fir's murder." He swallowed, trying to muster all the sincerity he could. "All I want is to return to your good graces, to become your horseman once again."

"Good try, Al Sa-her, good try. I wish I could accommodate you, but, you see, Al Sa-her," Ra's said, approaching Malcolm, "I do not believe you." He followed his statement with three swift punches to his abdomen, then to his kidneys. "Such transgressions, Magician," several more punches to his jaw and face, "cannot be forgiven." A final punch to Merlyn's nose caused a major nose bleed.

Face bloody, talking through a split lip, Merlyn mumbled, "I would do anything for you, Liege."

"Nice offer, but a little too late," Ra's said, using Merlyn's abdomen as a punching bag. "Like you have heard me warn others, Al Sa-her, you should have been careful not to make me angry."

As punches continued to rain upon his battered body, Malcolm struggled to retain consciousness, but eventually he lost the battle.

 **AN: Well, there you have it. Malcolm Merlyn finally gets his punishment. I** ** _almost_** **felt avenged when he _ _ _ in Season 4 of the series, but not quite. Ha. (hope you know what I mean…decided not to spoil something for anyone who has NOT seen** ** _that_** **episode of season 4, thus the blanks). Guess that's partly where this story comes from, wishing for more revenge upon Merlyn for what he all did in season 4. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and tune in for the next one.**


	4. Chapter 4: Denouement

Disclaimer: WB/DC own these characters. I'm only borrowing them for a while. I own the original ideas found in this.

 **AN: Thank you for returning to this story. I hope you have been enjoying it, and leaving me reviews, which would make me happy. This is the last chapter of this story, but I do have a sequel, of sorts, in the works. See bottom AN for more details.**

 **And, I know I just posted Ch. 3 just hours ago, but I am anxious to hear what you think of this as well. And hopefully next time I am near the internet, I can post my sequel!**

Previously:

 _"_ _I am truly sorry, Liege. I realize I brought disgrace to the League, both through the Undertaking, and through Ta-er Sa-fir's murder." He swallowed, trying to muster all the sincerity he could. "All I want is to return to your good graces, to become your horseman once again."_

 _"_ _Good try, Al Sa-her, good try. I wish I could accommodate you, but, you see, Al Sa-her," Ra's said, approaching Malcolm, "I do not believe you." He followed his statement with three swift punches to his abdomen, then to his kidneys. "Such transgression, Magician," several more punches to his jaw and face, "cannot be forgiven." A final punch to Merlyn's nose, causing a major nose bleed._

 _Face bloody, talking through a split lip, Merlyn mumbled, "I would do anything for you, Liege."_

 _"_ _Nice offer, but a little too late," Ra's said, using Merlyn's abdomen as a punching bag. "Like you have heard me warn others, Al Sa-her, you should have been careful not to make me angry."_

 _As punches continued to rain upon his battered body, Malcolm struggled to retain consciousness, but eventually he lost the battle._

Ra's al Ghul looked in disgust at the beaten man hanging unconscious in front of him. He shook his head, walked out of the cell, and gave his soldiers orders to take the prisoner down. Wishing to make the agony last as long as he could, Ra's would allow Merlyn a day or so to rest, then would continue the torture.

Looking at the broken man, Ra's wasn't sure how long he would last. Overall, the man ended up being a disappointment all around. He had shown such promise when he had first arrived in Nanda Parbat, broken over his wife's death and the city's supposed betrayal. Perfect building blocks to form the type of soldier the League of Assassins needed. And he was. Until one day Ra's discovered he had an ulterior motive for joining the League, and never truly intended to be a true member of the League. Malcolm Merlyn only wanted to learn the secrets of the League then use them to supposedly avenge his wife. Which, to Ra's, was the ultimate betrayal.

So, unluckily for Al Sa-her, his time to face justice had now arrived. And knowing what Ra's was capable of only made it worse for him, Ra's was certain. The halls of the Fortress rang with the laughter of the leader of the Assassins.

~~OQ~~FS~~OQ~~FS~~

Several months later, Laurel and Oliver were in the Arrow Bunker. Oliver finally had relented and begun teaching Laurel some fighting skills, which they were reviewing this night. Dig and Roy were out patrolling, and Felicity was manning the comms.

"Busy as always, I see." A voice no one had wanted to ever hear in the Lair ever again floated in the air.

Oliver quickly grabbed his bow and quiver near him, notched an arrow and aimed at Nyssa's heart. Laurel held her bo-staff tightly in a defensive stance, and Felicity pressed a silent alarm for Diggle and Roy to return to the Bunker. She also turned the comms on in the Bunker, so Roy and Dig could hear what was going on.

Oliver demanded in a cold, even tone, "What are you doing here, Nyssa?" He looked around and didn't see any other LOA soldiers accompanying the League Heir but didn't relax his guard. Catching Felicity's eye, she nodded slightly, letting him know she had hit the silent alarm.

Nyssa held up her empty hands in a gesture of surrender. "I do not mean any harm."

"This time," Felicity mumbled.

Nyssa continued as though Felicity hadn't interrupted her, her eyes remaining on Oliver. "I have brought news about Ta-er Sa-fir."

"How dare you mention my sister's name after you injured my friends," Laurel demanded, stepping up in line with Oliver. Oliver tried to motion her back, to keep Laurel behind him, but Laurel ignored him, keeping her eyes on their uninvited guest. She was determined not to allow this…this… betrayer harm her friends this time.

"I refuse to apologize for our League ways. Laurel, I did what I had to do to bring justice for the woman we both loved. In the end, I believe you will be satisfied with the final results."

"Why don't you just tell us why you are here and take your leave," Oliver said.

Nyssa acknowledged Oliver's anger and began to pace in front of them. "I simply wish to inform you Al Sa-her is dead. As a result of League justice. He finally succumbed to injuries last night brought on by my father's torture." Looking at Laurel, Nyssa added, "You can rest assured, justice was indeed gotten for Sara."

"It might be your ways, but we usually don't get our kicks from someone else's torture." Looking at Oliver, Laurel said, "However, if there was ever a case I would make an exception, it would be this one."

"There is one remaining item I need to tell you, Oliver." Nyssa stopped her pacing and looked at the archer, who remained focused on her every move, the bow never leaving its target. Every instinct was hyper-vigilant, his body prepared for a fight if necessary. "I hesitate to tell you this, but to bring this entire affair to its proper end, I feel the need for full disclosure." She paused once more, capturing everyone in a sweeping glance.

Losing patience while waiting for Nyssa to continue, Oliver demanded, "Well, go on then!"

"Merlyn indeed was not the one to deliver the fatal blows to my Beloved, but he was the one behind the deed." She allowed her statement to be heard by her stunned audience.

After a moment, Oliver asked through clenched teeth, "Then who was it?"

"If I may approach the computers?" Nyssa asked. Felicity looked at Oliver, who reluctantly nodded, and gave a nod of her own to Nyssa, who gave Felicity a flash drive. Felicity grimaced, examined it, then put it in a slot, waited for it to be checked out by her computer security as she leaned back in her chair.

"Laurel, Oliver, can you please come here so you can also see the screen?" Nyssa requested.

Oliver reluctantly lowered his bow, nodded to Laurel, and they took places behind Felicity, who punched up the one video on the flash drive. They proceeded to watch a scene they would never have guessed. It showed Thea, Oliver's own sister, wearing a veil covering her head and lower part of her face, and a black fighting outfit, approach Sara in her Canary outfit, shoot three arrows into her chest, then turn around to walk towards the camera. Her eyes appeared blank, her face emotionless. No other sound could be heard.

"What? What _is_ this, Nyssa?" Oliver exclaimed.

"Oliver, I'm going to play it again," Felicity said as she set it up again to play. The three watched again in silence as the video played once again.

Oliver turned to Nyssa. "What is the meaning of this…this video, Nyssa, and where the hell did you get this from?"

"The only reason I brought you this, at the risk of causing you and Laurel more pain, was for you to know the whole truth regarding how and why Sara died and who was ultimately responsible."

"My sister? My baby sister who grew up idolizing Sara supposedly killed her? This must be a fake," Oliver said, attempting to tamp down the anger which was threatening to explode. All he wanted to do was reach out and snap Nyssa's neck. He flexed both his hands into fists, his knuckles turning white.

Nyssa stood her ground under Oliver's dangerous glare. "Thank you, Oliver, for allowing me to explain this. Malcolm was secretly training your sister all summer in Corto Maltese, as well as drugging her with an ancient herb known as Votura."

Oliver became reflective. "Votura? Isn't that a League of Assassin tool?"

Nyssa nodded. "Yes, Malcolm had become well-acquainted with it during his years with the League. He set up your sister up to kill Ta-er Sa-fir."

Oliver numbly reached for an office chair and sat down at the end of the computers. He rested his elbows on his upper thighs, covering his face with his hands, he could only shake his head. Looking up, running his hands through his hair Oliver quietly asked, "Why?"

"According to what he had told my father, Malcolm thought it was the only way to get the blood debt off of his head. By setting up Thea, he would force you to battle Ra's. Either you would kill Ra's, setting both him and Thea free from any and all blood debts, or you would be killed, Ra's would consider the blood debts satisfied as part of the result of a duel, and Malcolm would be free in either case."

"That no-good SOB," Felicity mumbled.

At that moment, Dig and Roy burst into the Bunker and ran down the stairs. Even though they had been listening, and Nyssa apparently not a threat, Dig still had his gun aimed, and Roy his bow ready. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs, in fighters' stance, waiting for a sign from Oliver. At a shake of his head, both put down their weapons and walked slowly towards the group.

"Wouldn't have thought you'd have the gall to return after what you did to Oliver and Felicity," Dig said to Nyssa.

"I was hoping my news would make some amends," Nyssa said.

Diggle remained silent but shook his head slowly.

"So in the end…." Nyssa began.

"If you say, it was just business and no hard feelings, think again, lady," Diggle said. He took a step towards Nyssa, but Roy placed a hand on his arm.

"Okay, understandably we will not agree on whether my actions were warranted in the end. Neither will I apologize for them. However, I thought you should know, and use the knowledge as you wish. Al Sa-her had hoped, at the end, to use the tape as a means to escape justice and involve you, Oliver, and your sister once again. I wanted to inform you that my father sees no reason for that to occur. He understands your sister's actions were not made of her own free will, and it only added to the injustices Al Sa-her ended up paying for with his suffering and life."

Nyssa took a step back from the group. "I will now take my leave. My father and I consider this to be the closing of all business between the League and all of you. Hopefully, we will not cross paths again."

She looked at Oliver, who solemnly nodded. "Thank you, Nyssa. We will consider this matter closed as well."

The Arrow team watched as the Heir of the Demon took her leave. As the door latched behind her, Felicity said, "Whew! Glad that's over!" She jumped as though she had surprised herself with her statement, and looked over at Oliver. "It _is_ over, isn't it, Oliver?"

"I hate to say it, but I am really glad Merlyn is now dead," Laurel said, collapsing into a chair. "Proving to be a real SOB up to the very end, trying to get Oliver to do his dirty work for him." Letting a loud 'humph' escape, she added, "And to top it all off, trying to escape justice at the very end by trying to implicate Thea anyway."

"A real winner indeed," Felicity mumbled.

"I wonder if we should've asked Nyssa for proof of death, like his head on the end of a spear or something," Roy said.

Oliver shrugged. "One way or another, he _is_ dead. So…back to business." Looking at Roy and Dig he asked, "Any concerns regarding the patrolling tonight?"

As he listened to his teammates, Oliver couldn't help but think about his sister. He knew he needed to tell her about Malcolm being killed, and why. He also knew he would have to address with Thea all those unanswered questions regarding why she had kept her training with Malcolm a secret from him. As well as breaking the news to her about who really killed Sara. However, he needed time to absorb all of it, and figure out a plan.

Catching Laurel's eye as she made her way gradually closer to the men to be included in the conversation, Oliver knew he also had his hands full with integrating Laurel fully into the team. Knowing her stubbornness, Oliver knew once she had decided to become part of the team, it really was useless for him to object, knowing it was only a matter of time before Laurel would become a part of the crime-fighting team.

With both his sister and former girlfriend, Oliver knew he had his hands full indeed. Luckily he didn't have to worry about a vengeful head of assassins anymore. One less worry indeed. As he had told Diggle months ago, anyone tangling with the Head of the Demon courted death. He returned his attention back to the Team and pushed all the other thoughts aside for the moment to finish their tactical conversation.

 **AN: Well, that's it then. The truth about Sara out, Merlyn dead. No further action from Nanda Parbat. No silly story about trying to make Oliver Heir. Hmm. Hope you enjoyed this little adventure. It was sure fun to write. Even though it kinda ended season 3 canon in four or five episodes. Ha.**

 **The sequel I mentioned? Will focus on Lauriver, since the ILY in the Arrow Lair, the duel, and Oliver leaving for Nanda Parbat never happened in this universe. So that leaves open the very real possibility for Laurel and Oliver to get closer. (much more than a possibility). I hope you will check it out when I post the first chapter. Thanks again for reading this story.**


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